Seared Halibut with Green Beans, Scallions, and White Wine Sauce

This recipe offers a prime example of cooking last minute because the entire dish can be prepared and executed very quickly.  After sauteing the halibut, the fish is removed from the pan, which is then deglazed with white wine and fresh lemon juice. Butter is swirled in gradually to yield a rich, flavorful sauce — punctuated by scallions, capers, and diced tomato — that is simply poured over the fish; its pleasing citric acidity and buttery richness make it a perfect foil for the halibut

 If you can find find Haricots Verts try them versus the good ‘old green beans. 

Ingredients:

1 pound young green beans or haricots verts

Four 7-ounce halibut fillets, each approximately 1 inch thick

Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1/2 cup unsalted butter

5 scallions, white part only, finely sliced on the bias

1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed

1 large, ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice

Directions:

In a pot of boiling salted water set over high heat, cook the haricots verts for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Drain and place them in the center of a large, warm serving platter. Cover and keep warm.

Season the halibut on both sides with salt and pepper. 

In a 12-inch saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the fish for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Turn, reduce the heat to medium, and cook about 4 minutes longer, until the fish is opaque in the center and browned on both sides. Put the fish on the platter with the beans and cover to keep warm.

Pour off any oil in the pan and add the wine and lemon juice. 

Raise the heat to high and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sauce reduces by half, about 2 minutes. 

Reduce the heat and stir in the butter, a piece at a time, to enrich and flavor the sauce. Add the scallions, capers, and tomato. 

Season with salt and pepper, and pour over the fish on the platter. Serve immediately.